The Knights of Geass
by ZLelouch0
Summary: Aware that he might fail, Emperor Charles prepared safeguards for Ragnorak after his death. When geass is thrown into the mix, Zero's Requiem may just be the greatest gift Lelouch ever gave his father and the Geass Directorate. Instead, Lelouch's only hope for a better world may be the restoration of the Geass Directorate as it was millennia prior. To build, he must destroy.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey!**

**For the people who know me as the author of Fate's Curse, Prince of Masks, etc...**

**I'm really sorry. I haven't posted anything in what feels like forever. For that whole time, I felt riddled with guilt in that I haven't been able to continue my CG fanfics like I would like, but I was unable to do so due to some major problems that popped up in real life. I know I can't expect much since I left for so long, but I would like to try and come back and start updating once more. I'd like to extend a big THANK YOU to the people who PM'd and bugged me about updating. I hate and love you guys, as you all made me just guilty enough to try and pick this writing back up again.**

**I consider this my warm-up fanfic to test whether I'm actually able to come back to writing this stuff! This fanfic should be a lot shorter than any of the other fanfics I've put out. Once I pound this one out, I hope to go back and revamp my old "published" fanfics and hopefully continue them until their planned conclusions (READ AS: THOSE FICS ARE NOT YET DEAD! :D).**

**That being said, I'm going to give this fanfic my best! This fanfic came out of some ideas I have toyed with for far too long.****  
**

**Chapter 1**

In an ornate throne room, Suzaku kneeled before Emperor Charles. Double doors closed behind him, taking with them his former friend Lelouch. The disgraced prince was unconscious, as his mind had resisted the changes Emperor Charles had commanded.

Charles zi Britannia stroked his chin. "Tell me, Mr. Kururugi… Why has the son of Japan's last Prime Minister turned in Japan's best chance for freedom?"

Suzaku stared at the ground by his feet. "Zero's 'freedom' is not the kind I wish for my kin. Area 11 must regrow through cooperation with Britannia in order to hope for stability."

"I see. You seem far more mature than your age would indicate." Charles' voice rumbled with authority. "However, did you think that I wouldn't realize your ties with Lelouch?"

Suzaku blinked. "Your Majesty?"

"Don't try to fool me, boy. I know you were childhood friends, so I also know that you wouldn't hand over Lelouch without good reason." Charles sat back in his throne. "Tell me, why didn't you kill Zero on the spot?"

Suzaku stared at the ground. "Because I wanted a prize for my catch."

Charles smiled. "And you shall have it, but first, I need to be sure that you don't decide to have a change of heart." He gestured towards the door on his left. "Outside of those doors you will meet one of my men. He will ensure that you receive your reward, as well as confirm your loyalty."

_Confirm my loyalty? _Bowing, Suzaku silently complied. He walked out of a pair of double doors, coming face to face with a man in purple robes.

The stranger's left eye was marked with a red bird.

* * *

Roughly two years after that night, a wooden coffin lay in the center of a marble room. The room was pitch-black, except for a pair of flashlights.

Two frail arms reached over and tried to push open the coffin. After a few mild grunts of exertion, Nunnally sat back in her wheelchair.

"I'm sorry Sayoko, but could you perhaps..." As she spoke, the maid pushed open the coffin. In the dim light, Nunnally could see Sayoko freeze at whatever lay inside.

Rather, whoever lay inside.

Nunnally turned so that her chair rested against the tomb and craned her neck over. "Lelouch?"

Inside the coffin, the Demon Emperor lay calmly on his side. _It looks almost like he's sleeping._ Nunnally thought. "Lelouch? Can you hear me?"

Off to the side, Sayoko whispered, "Lady Nunnally, it's only been a week. Even if he is… immortal as Lord Jeremiah suspects, he might not be in good condition."

Nunnally hesitated. "That may be so, but we need to move Lelouch's body before anybody else finds out. The people wouldn't let him get a proper burial, so he may be cremated as early as tomorrow."

Then the Empress heard a familiar voice. "Is that so? I suppose it is only right that a warlock dies by burning."

Nunnally turned her attention to the coffin, where Lelouch, eyes still closed, had begun to slowly stretch, coming to life. "Wait, that voice..." Then he opened his eyes. His calm face was replaced by surprise. "Nunnally? What are you doing he-" His words were halted by a tight hug.

After a few moments of stunned silence, Lelouch raised his arms to envelope his beloved sister. He had no idea what was happening, but right now, he had his sister.

His hug was interrupted as a side door to the small room opened. "Your Majesty!"

Lelouch recognized that voice. "Jeremiah?" He quickly turned from Nunnally, then bent over in a wince of pain. He hadn't noticed as he woke, but his chest was throbbing slightly.

Jeremiah saw his liege in pain and flew over. Kneeling down, he looked at the ground. "Is everything alright, Your Majesty?"

Lelouch smiled. "Unless something's gone horrible wrong, I've got a feeling that you shouldn't be calling me 'your majesty'."

Jeremiah smiled in return. "I apologize, Lelouch. To me, you will always be my lord."

Lelouch sighed at that. Looking around, he took in the dark room. "Well, it certainly seems like I'm not in Hell, so I'm assuming that somehow I'm still alive." He turned to Nunnally. "How did you know?"

His sister looked at Sayoko, who in turn smiled at Lord Jeremiah. "I could not be sure, my lord." Jeremiah said, his gaze slightly higher now. "However, I thought that perhaps Charles' death would have granted you the Code."

"I suppose that's the most likely explanation at the moment." Lelouch nodded. "It's interesting that the thought never crossed C.C.'s mind."

"Well, the forced elimination of a soul from the World of C is certainly an unprecedented event, so no one really knows what happened for sure." Jeremiah smiled. "Please recall, my lord, that I used to work for the Geass Directorate, so I have observed V.V.'s immortality for quite some time."

At the mention of the Geass Directorate, Lelouch glanced at Nunnally. She noticed. "Lelouch, I already know about it. From when you… were dying."

_And I still don't know how you learned everything while I died._ Lelouch shook his head, clearing his mind. "Whatever the case, I need to find a place where I can live outside of the public's eye. Although I didn't quite expect it, it seems like the Demon Emperor didn't quite die as planned."

Nunnally immediately grabbed his arm. "Please, don't go Lelouch."

Lelouch smiled almost bitterly. "As much as I'd like to stay, the Demon Emperor that everybody knows has died, killed at the hands of the hero Zero. It would complicate the narrative if the dictator were to be found alive and well after a clearly fatal wound."

"Stop calling yourself a demon, Lelouch!" Tears were starting bead faintly. "Everyone knows you really aren't."

Lelouch smiled, resting a hand on his sister's delicate face. "Try telling the Black Knights that."

"You have to try!" Nunnally protested. "Why don't you do that thing you did to me? Show everybody the truth, if they don't listen to words."

Lelouch thought about that. Somehow, in his "dying" moments, Lelouch had told Nunnally _everything_, simply through touch. He turned to Jeremiah. "This might sound strange, Jeremiah, but I have a question. While you worked for them, have you ever heard of V.V. physically touching his victims to cause strange reactions? Like, for instance, instilling visions through touch?" _Now that I think about it, C.C. did something similar to incapacitate others._

Jeremiah pondered the sudden question. "It has happened, though nobody in the Directorate talks much about it. V.V. would just touch a rebellious subject, and then the target would suddenly collapse." He glanced first at Nunnally, then Lelouch. "Have you experienced anything like this, my lord?"

Lelouch nodded. "Perhaps, but I'm not sure how much control I have over it." He silently filed that line of thought for further study later. "At any rate, I've got too much to lose and too little to gain in redeeming my image, Nunnally. Jeremiah, do you have any idea on how I can get out of here quietly?"

Sayoko was the one to answer. "I brought two cloaks. If you both wear them, you can masquerade as Nunnally's guards on the way out. I believe Lord Jeremiah has made arrangements from there."

The green-haired knight nodded. "I requested that a few of our former Imperial Guards meet us at the gate outside the compound. You'll be traveling under covert escort to an orange farm that Anya and I have prepared."

"Excellent." Lelouch shakily stood up, noting that his chest's throbbing had almost disappeared. "Let's head out."

* * *

It had begun to drizzle outside. A white fog blurred the cemetery headstones, masking them as distant silhouettes. The foursome made their way through a silent graveyard.

Lelouch held up an umbrella for Nunnally. "Seems Suzaku did a good job of hiding my body."

His sister nodded. "We made sure that nobody knew where it was. A lot of people wanted to make sure you didn't get a proper burial." She frowned slightly.

"Well, it seems I'll be granting their wish."

All too quickly, they reached the entrance gate. A black car was waiting. Nunnally grasped her brother's hand. "I'll come to see you whenever I can, Brother."

Lelouch ran his other hand over Nunnally's face. "I'll be waiting."

Sayoko stepped into the driver's seat. "Please take care, Master Lelouch."

Lelouch nodded, waving. _I'm no one's master now, Sayoko._

The car slowly faded away in the rain. A moment later, a group of 12 people approached from across the street.

Lelouch hadn't noticed them at all. "I don't recall asking for an army as an escort. It's not going to be easy to pass unnoticed with 12 bodyguards."

Jeremiah seemed confused as well. "I apologize, my lord. I specifically requested only three guards..." He swept his cloak back, revealing two handguns. He unclasped the holster for one. "Please take one, my lord."

Lelouch slowly did so, pulling back the safety. The strangers had just finished crossing the street. "Identify yourselves."

At first, there was no response. _Perhaps the rain muffled my voice. _Then he realized that the strangers were carrying guns in plain sight. He raised his gun slightly in response, shouting this time, "Identify yourselves!"

The one in the center pulled back his hood. "I am Captain Jake Lanier, of Lord Zero's Zero Squad!"

Lelouch lowered his gun. "Welcome, comrade. I must admit that I didn't expect such a large escort." _Jake Lanier? I don't recall assigning him… Suzaku must have added him to the unit._

"Lord Zero predicted that there might be some complications." Mr. Lanier continued.

Jeremiah scowled. "I don't recall informing Lord Zero of this."

In response, the captain raised a hand to wipe rain off his face. When he took his hands away, both eyes were red. "You are trapped in a box of pain, needles digging into every part of your being. You are slipping into a painful death."

_It couldn't be… _Before Lelouch could react, he heard Jeremiah scream briefly in pain. Then Lelouch saw Jeremiah's blue geass canceller activate.

"The target's immunity to geass has been confirmed. Eliminate and retrieve the body."

Lanier's men raised their guns, shouting, "For the Emperor!"

Lelouch didn't have time to react. A flurry of bullets flew towards him, just barely blocked by an orange outline.

"Back, my lord!" Jeremiah's metal parts served as cover while the two sprinted back into the cemetery.

Lelouch cursed. "Is there another exit?"

Jeremiah prepared his gun. "The other end is blocked off by a river. The rest of the cemetery is surrounded by open road!" He then swung an arm around the gate edge to return fire.

Lelouch heard screeching tires in the street beyond. Jeremiah came back into cover. "There are about 20 new enemy reinforcements, my lord!"

_Who are these people? _Lelouch shook his head. _First we need to leave,__ but we can't wildly run around with bullets flying._

Time seemed to slow as Lelouch mentally considered the cemetery grounds. Most of the "walls" were simply gates, meaning that he would be shot down the moment he tried to pass over… Alternatively, he could make for the river, but the current downpour would likely make it a dangerous exit, without considering the chances of being shot while crossing the entire cemetery.

_Well, if I'm truly immortal that shouldn't be a major issue, but I'm sure that there's a limit to the number of bullets that Jeremiah can take…_ Lelouch sighed.

"Jeremiah, we need to leave by the river. It's our only chance of getting out of here alive!"

"Understood!" Jeremiah nodded. "I'll cover you from behind."

Lelouch almost slipped on the wet pavement as he began to sprint away. Jeremiah followed suite, firing back into the rain as he went.

The rain had begun to fall harder, limiting visibility. While this meant that it would be harder for the enemy to aim, it also made it much harder for Lelouch to be sure that he went the right way.

It wasn't long before Lelouch began to pant. He bit his lip. _Sometimes I wish I had Suzaku's stamina. _Just as he thought that, the man tripped over a low gravestone into the mud. Before he could react, Jeremiah picked Lelouch back up, blocking any incoming fire with his body.

Lelouch glanced back and couldn't see anybody following. _I hope that's a good sign._ The sound of gunfire, although still present, had died down considerably.

With Jeremiah's occasional assistance, the two made it to the river without serious visible injury. However, as Lelouch had suspected, the heavy rain had greatly increased the currents. It was moving far too swiftly for anyone to even think of swimming across.

"We have no choice but to hope we lose them here!"

Jeremiah grimly nodded. Behind him Lelouch saw the silhouettes of at least 10 armed men. Taking a deep breath, he jumped.

Cold water hit him like a stinging slap to the face. He'd underestimated the currents, which immediately flipped him upside down. The water crushed the air out of his lungs.

He was barely able to surface for a new breath before a bullet punctured his shoulder. He opened his mouth to scream in pain, only to have it filled with water.

Although his instincts screamed at him to stay down, he almost immediately had to come back up for air. For the second that he was up, his eyes were too wet to see a thing. Everything was black.

Then the current threw him back down, and this time he couldn't get his head back up. He pushed and pushed at the water around him, but he couldn't right himself. No matter how hard he struggled, Lelouch couldn't come up for air.

His arms quickly lost what little strength they had. Then he felt himself grabbed by two tight fists. He could feel metal scrap against his body, and he thought dimly, _Jeremiah?_

Then he fell into true darkness.

* * *

Lelouch woke with a start. He was lying in a bed. He sat up and looked around. He was in what appeared to be an attic, with no one around. _That's a good sign._

He raised a hand to his head. "Was that all a real bad dream?"

Then he saw that his shoulder was bandaged. "It seems like the bullet wound was real." Rolling his shoulders, Lelouch realized he felt no pain. Clawing at the bandages revealed a perfectly clean shoulder. There wasn't a single sign of damage.

Once again, he looked around the attic room. There was a staircase by the foot of his bed leading down. _It doesn't seem like I'm in a holding cell._

Some clothes were neatly folded on a chair next to his bed. He changed into them and walked down the wooden stairs. He stepped into a normal-enough hallway. He walked to the end, where he could peer out a shuttered window.

The sun was high in the sky. All he could see were rows upon rows of orange trees. He was on a farm… _an orange farm?_

Taking a step back, he realized that the door to his right was open. Inside he saw a familiar figure seated.

"Anya?"

The young knight turned. She looked at him with eyes feigning calmness. "You're up? It only took you a day to regain your health… Lucky…"

Lelouch stepped inside, where he saw Jeremiah lying on a bed.

Well, it looked like Jeremiah, except that most of his face and body was wrapped in bandages. Only his metallic eye showed beyond the covers, and it was shut. "Jeremiah!" Lelouch rushed to his subordinate's side. "Can you hear me?"

To his relief, the eye opened. "My lord," a voice creaked from under the bandages, "are you alright?"

Lelouch shakily smiled. "I should be asking you that, Jeremiah."

Jeremiah sighed. "You would make a kind emperor, Prince Lelouch." A pained laugh escaped the wounded man.

Anya stepped in. "You shouldn't talk, Jeremiah. You're still not-"

Jeremiah jerkily shook his head. "Lord Lelouch, you need to know something." The knight's voice faded slightly.

Lelouch stepped closer. "What is it, Jeremiah?"

"While I was being… rebuilt… by the Geass Directorate, I learned a bit about their history. You see, the Directorate wasn't originally focused on the Ragnorak Junction."

"The Directorate was built a little over two thousand years ago, following the formation of the Holy Britannian Empire. At the time, geass users were trained en masse to fend off Caesar's invasion of the British Isles. Although it helped us beat a much more technologically advanced invading force, Britannia was left with many geass users vying for supremacy. The first emperor of Britannia established the Geass Directorate as a unit of trusted geass users who worked to eliminate unauthorized use of geass. Under their just rule, the Britannian Empire prospered."

Lelouch ran a hand through his hair. "So you're saying the Geass Directorate used to be a sort of… geass police?"

Jeremiah took a deep breath. "Yes… If I may suggest, my lord…" Jeremiah's words became fainter and slower, "You should look to do something similar."

Lelouch froze. He could barely control the anger in his voice. "Are you saying that I should rebuild the Geass Directorate? After all the trouble we went through destroying it?"

Jeremiah closed his eyes once more. "I know, my lord… I know..." He opened his eye again. "But… the enemy clearly has geass users,… whoever they are."

Lelouch made a fist. "Which should be impossible, since we wiped out the Directorate! I was the last geass user left standing..."

Jeremiah didn't respond. Instead, Lelouch began to hear a series of hisses from Jeremiah's eyepiece. The side of the metal implant opened to reveal a small flash drive. "My lord, this contains all the data you should need to reconstruct an anti-geass device. At the moment, we don't have the resources to produce them, but I need to make sure you at least have the basic designs before I..."

Lelouch shook his head. "What are you talking about, Jeremiah? You're making it sound like this is the end."

Jeremiah's eye remained shut. The knight was silent.

Lelouch shook his head once more, this time grabbing Jeremiah's arm. "Open your eyes this instant! That's an order!"

Jeremiah's eye remained shut. Lelouch pounded a fist on the bed.

"God damn it, Jeremiah! I command you to reopen your eyes!"

* * *

"I hated the Demon Emperor." Anya stated emotionlessly.

Lelouch turned to Anya. "Then does that mean you intend to turn me in?" At the moment, Lelouch felt spent. He'd lost the one man who trusted him unconditionally. _  
_

Anya shook her head. "But you aren't the Demon Emperor. You're Lelouch Lamperouge. Jeremiah told me everything."

Lelouch smiled slightly. "Thanks, Anya." He turned to leave the room.

"Give me it."

Lelouch paused. "What was that, Anya?"

The former Knight of Britannia gave Lelouch an empty stare. "Give it to me."

"Give you what?" _I don't exactly have a lot to give._

"Geass." Anya said calmly. "Give me geass."

* * *

**I don't have much left to say other than that I beg for forgiveness. It's been a long time since I've done work like this, so I don't even know what level I'm at now. Please let me use this fanfic as a blank slate, off which I hope to grow and become a better writer.**

**I can honestly say that I've got no idea what to expect from this fanfic. I think I've got an interesting backup storyline I can use, but I think I want to try and experiment with the plot of this fanfic before I finish it up.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey!**

…**I just want to warn you all that this story'll probably be a bit experimental… Just a heads up. This may be a good or bad thing, I'm not quite sure. Good, hopefully.**

**Chapter 2**

Lelouch shook his head. "There is no way in hell that I am giving you geass."

Anya took a step forward. "Then I'll die like Jeremiah. He told me that whoever killed him can use it."

Lelouch took a step back, still shaking his head. "I never asked you to die for me, Anya. You can have a peaceful life here."

Anya took another step. "I owe Jeremiah my life, and I intend to find the ones who took his." Anya spoke with a calmness that made clear she was committed.

Lelouch took another step back. "Even so, you don't need geass. You can pilot a knightmare, and I can manufacture Geass Cancelers if we need them."

Anya pressed on. "My knightmare was destroyed, and we don't have the resources to make cancelers yet. Right now, you're neither Zero nor Emperor Lelouch. Without Geass, we're powerless."

Lelouch took a final step back, pressing his back against the wall. "Even so, geass is a tool of pure evil-"

"And who," Anya cut in, "was the one who said that, when faced with a force too evil to take down by just means, he would become evil in order to defeat the greater evil?" She stared, eyes emotionless, cutting directly into Lelouch.

Lelouch instinctively covered his left eye. "This shouldn't have happened! All of Charles' geass users were killed!"

"How can you be so sure?"

Lelouch didn't immediately respond. He slowly opened his mouth but was interrupted by a small TV set in the corner of the room.

"Breaking News! Just yesterday, a number of pro-Lelouch terrorists shot upon innocent civilians in a Japanese cemetery. Furthermore, authorities have reported that one of the terrorists bears a striking resemblance to the deceased Demon Emperor Lelouch."

Lelouch stumbled over to the TV monitor. _What's Suzaku doing? He should have never made this public!_

"Although Zero has assured us that the Demon Emperor was quietly cremated as planned, the people of Japan are urged to report any sightings of this Lelouch look-alike."

Then a familiar black mask appeared on screen. "It deeply saddens me," Zero declared, "that there still remain soldiers who feel obligated to support the deceased Demon Emperor. In an attempt to rebuild that dictatorship, a man bearing a striking resemblance to the Demon Emperor has ascended to the head of this terrorist organization."

Then the masked leader raised his arms. "However, there is no cause for alarm. Just as I struck down the Demon Emperor, so too will this terrorist leader be brought to justice. No force of evil can topple the might of our unified world!"

_Suzaku's hunting for me?_ Lelouch shook his head. _This isn't right._

* * *

_This isn't right._

Kallen slid towards Zero as he walked away from the podium. "Zero, we need to talk."

Zero acted as if he hadn't heard. Instead, he motioned with his hand to blond man waiting by the wall. Kallen frowned. "Who's he, Zero?"

The man walked closer and saluted. "Captain Jake Lanier of the Zero Squad, reporting sir."

"Captain?" Kallen stared at Zero. "Last time I checked, I was captain of the Zero Squad."

"You _were_ the captain, Kallen." Zero said, "Now you've been honorably discharged to continue your education in Japan."

"I don't recall being informed of this." Kallen rubbed a threatening headache.. "No, that's not the important thing. What's this about a Lelouch look-alike?"

For perhaps the first time, Zero let out an audible sigh. "It's not your concern. The issue will be dealt with shortly."

* * *

_He's betrayed me again!_ Lelouch rested his head on his hand. _Somehow, he's working with those geass users._ Lelouch thought about the man he'd met in the cemetery. _He'd said something, right before they opened fire… __"The target's immunity to geass is confirmed. Eliminate and retrieve the body." This means they knew that I might have the Code, and they wanted it._

_In addition, it should have been impossible for them to find out where I was, since my Imperial Guards were bound under geass to never give up in an interrogation... Unless they have command-based geass users like me._

Lelouch suddenly stood back up. "Anya, where's C.C.?"

"Before he left to get you, Jeremiah said that Suzaku would take care of her."

Lelouch felt a headache coming. "This shouldn't be happening… This shouldn't be happening…" He turned back to Anya. "Anya, pack any weapons you have. We're leaving."

* * *

_I never thought I'd be here again. _Aloud, C.C. noted, "I must admit, Charles, I didn't expect you to think this far in advance." The green-haired witch was back in C's World, arms bound and wrapped tightly behind her back.

A soft voice spoke from behind. "I don't think it would be entirely fair if Charles took all the credit."

C.C. turned her face towards an old friend. "I guess I should have known that killing your puppets couldn't be that easy, V.V."

V.V. smiled. "Times have changed since you were director, C.C. While you and your boy managed to destroy the Directorate's base, there are countless agents of the Directorate spread throughout the world. You killed our child soldiers, but you somehow forgot about the trained geass users."

C.C. frowned. "And it was going all so smoothly... Until this man decided to flip sides. Again." She glared at the Japanese man at her side. "You fooled us for a long time, Suzaku."

The man was silent, but C.C. could see the red rings around his pupils. For the first time in a while, C.C. felt rage boiling up.

* * *

Anya stopped the farm truck just behind the wooden docks. The sun had just set, leaving only the lights of the various docked boats. "This isn't a good idea, Lelouch."

Lelouch ignored Anya. "We don't have any choice. Come."

The two, hidden in black cloaks, walked down the pier to a small fishing boat. Three men sat in the cockpit of the boat. Without saying a word, Lelouch jumped aboard, Anya close behind.

Before the three could say anything, Lelouch shot them all with a silenced handgun. He made his way to the controls, muttering apologies as he passed the bodies.

In just a few moments, Anya and Lelouch were on their way out of the docks. The boat cut cleanly through the calm waters, and once the pier was out of sight, they dumped the bodies.

A long while later, the boat pulled into a small landing stage tucked into the woody parts of Kamine Island. Despite her short stature, Anya was able to deftly pull the boat close and tied it up securely.

Lelouch passed by a manmade mound overlooking the sea. _Rest well, Rolo._ Lelouch checked the ammunition in his gun and then led Anya towards the center of the island.

The two walked slowly through the foliage, hands by their holsters. Although there was no one in sight, Lelouch avoided a direct path to his destination, instead climbing the hill that topped the island's ruins. Thanks to a large hole made years before, he could peer down from the top of the hill to the dismantled Thought Elevator below.

At least, the formerly dismantled Thought Elevator. Roughly 30 men silently moved around the ruins below, carrying boxes of scientific equipment. One man, apparently the overseer, had an unmistakable purple robe.

_The Geass Directorate._

Lelouch bit his lip. _Suzaku, why did you side with them?_ Then he felt a gun barrel rest against the back of his head.

"Don't move, Lelouch vi Britannia."

* * *

Nunnally sighed. As the new Empress of Britannia, the Homeland had called her back to deal with a number of administrative duties. Taking a break of the stack of papers on her desk, she rolled her wheelchair to the window behind her.

Her "palace" was the former mansion of a deceased Duke Winbolt. Beyond it lay the devastated remains of Pendragon. The setting sun cast a depressing gloom across the few buildings that remained. Despite months of dedicated reconstruction, the semicircular wound in the capital city lay painfully visible. It would take years, if not decades, to fully rebuild the fallen capital.

The city she'd destroyed. _Just like my brother, I carry sins above me wherever I go._

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. The voice of a friend brought a slight smile to the Empress. "Empress Nunnally?"

"Kallen?" Nunnally wheeled herself back around to her desk. "Come in."

The red-haired girl was still in her Black Knights uniform. "You summoned me, Your Highness?"

Nunnally smiled a bit brighter. "Please, don't be so formal, Kallen. Take a seat."

Kallen smiled in response. "Thanks, Nunnally."

"I called you here because I am worried about Zero's announcement earlier today."

Kallen raised a brow. "You heard it? I was under the impression that it was mainly broadcasted to Japan."

Nunnally sighed. "Well, I just returned from Japan this morning. I had been visiting Lelouch's cemetery."

"His cemetery?" Kallen's eyes widened slightly. "You don't mean…" Suddenly, Kallen noticed Nunnally's smile seemed a bit forced and a bit tired.

The Empress sighed. "What if I told you that Lelouch wasn't dead?"

Kallen found herself unable to respond. "Wha-?"

"I don't fully understand it, but I think I know someone who can explain." Nunnally gestured at the stack of papers on her desk. "My hands are tied, but Sayoko said that you've just been discharged. I'd like you to make a visit for me when you return to Japan. A friend of mine there runs an orange farm."

* * *

At that moment, the butt of a rifle shoved Lelouch onto the ground. The man in purple robes pulled back his hood, revealing a pale, elderly face. "You've given us quite a bit of trouble, 'Demon Emperor' Lelouch."

Lelouch tried to sit up, but he was knocked over as Anya fell on top of him. "Why are you doing this? Your director, V.V., is dead. Your emperor, Charles, is dead. What's left-!" A bullet in the knee interrupted him, causing him to bend over in pain.

"Death is meaningless for the Ragnorak Junction." The old man continued. "Once the Collective Unconsciousness is destroyed, V.V. will rise once again to lead us to greatness."

"I destroyed the Ragnorak Junction. Give up this pointless-!" This time a bullet landed in his shoulder. He screamed in pain.

"Such a rude man." The overseer raised his handgun to Lelouch's head. "We only need you for your Code, so it's fine if I keep you in perpetual death. Unless you comply, that's what you'll receive. It doesn't matter how many times you come back to life; I'll shoot you through the head again each time."

Lelouch willed himself not to cry, both in pain and in fury at his helplessness. _If only I still had my geass, instead of this stupid Code!_

The overseer seemed to take Lelouch's silence as compliance, so he turned his gun at Anya, who was sitting upright. "Anya Alstreim, former Knight of Six. It's a pity that you had to align yourself with this man. In another world, you could have continued to serve Charles as a Knight of the Round. However, we cannot leave any witnesses." The man began to squeeze the trigger of his gun.

_No, this isn't happening!_ Lelouch thought frantically. _First Jeremiah, then Anya? I can't let them die… and I can't let them complete Ragnorak!_

The immortal scrambled with his arms, despite the throbbing he still felt from the bullet wounds. He ignored the disabling pain and pushed himself up, in front of Anya.

"Stop!"

His cry was useless; the overseer had pulled the trigger, and now a single bullet, originally aimed at Anya, lodged itself in Lelouch's skull. The raven-haired emperor felt nothing, not even a twinge of pain. He simply fell over at Anya's feet.

Then a peculiar thing happened. Instead of simply dying, Lelouch fell into a _conscious_ darkness. He couldn't see anything, but he could feel Anya kneel behind him, looking down on Lelouch's cooling body. He reached out and discovered that he could still move his limbs. However, as his body cooled, his strength rapidly faded.

_Damn it, damn it, God damn it all!_ Lelouch threw up one arm, grabbing Anya by the hand.

At that moment, his dark world filled with a cool whiteness. He was floating around some unseen current, and he could see Anya standing just a little distance away. He could feel her confusion, although her dull eyes betrayed no emotion. Something told Lelouch that Anya couldn't see him.

Willing himself nearer, he moved through nothingness to grasp Anya by the top of her head. "Anya Alstreim, do you desire power? The power to live?"

Words simply starting flowing from Lelouch's mouth, and he recalled hearing similar words long ago.

"I propose a deal. Accept this contract, and you accept its conditions. While living in the world of humans, you will live unlike any other. A different Providence, a different time, a different life. The power of the king will condemn you to a life of solitude. Are you prepared for this?"

"In exchange for this power,…" here Lelouch made a slight change in the contract as he remembered it, "you will swear to fight by my side, rooting out evil where it exists. That is my one wish you must make come true."

Then he heard Anya respond. "I accept the contract."

As soon as Anya fell silent, the white, fluid world within which Lelouch floated disappeared, and this time Lelouch's vision truly faded to darkness.

* * *

When Lelouch came to, the first thing he saw was a bright orange blur. Rubbing his eyes, that blur became a campfire with fish cooking above it.

"So you really do come back to life."

Lelouch turned to see Anya biting a fish on a stick. They were back in the woods of Kamine Island, though now night had officially fallen. Lelouch sat up and examined himself.

His knee, shoulder, and forehead all felt fine. Still, the memory was fresh enough in his mind to make him wince as he checked. Once he seemed fine, Anya passed him a fish.

"So…" Anya sighed. Lelouch noted that was perhaps the first time he had seen her without that bored, emotionless mask on. "What do we do now, Lelouch?"

Lelouch stared at Anya. "Before anything, I want to warn you: the more you use that geass, the stronger it will get. At some point, you probably won't be able to turn it off on command. Make sure that you never let it overpower your sanity."

"Alright." Anya took another bite. "Sounds simple enough."

"It might seem simple, but your geass is a serious danger. Don't let it control you." Lelouch stared at her for a bit longer before beginning to eat his own fish. He would need strength for the days ahead.

**I have never once considered LelouchxAnya to be a pairing. I just want to make that clear. I may have started considering it due to writing this fanfic,… but it's just generally not something I have thought of before. I cannot confirm nor deny any possible pairings at this point.**

**Btw, I've already got a list of possible geasses that will come into play for this fanfic, but feel free to let me know if you have any geass ideas that would be cool to add. There are a number of possible ways this story develops, and at least a few of those "routes" involve a large number of geass users.**


	3. Knight of Ignorance

**Hey!**

**Fun fact: In real life, Rolo is apparently a relatively rare English name, coming from the name ROLLO, the Latinized form of Roul, the Old French form of Rolf. Rollo/Rolf the Ganger was an exiled Viking who, in the 10****th**** century, became the first Duke of Normandy. A descendant of his, William the Conqueror, would go on to become King of England.**

**Chapter 3: Knight of Ignorance**

_Anya Alstreim (Geass): As a young girl, Ms. Alstreim suffered from a geass-based form of chronic amnesia, which was later cured by Sir Jeremiah Gottwald. It is believed that her frustration and obsession with lost memories built the foundation for her ability to clear the memories of those around her._

_Resembling the late Emperor Charles' geass, Ms. Alstreim's geass is an area-based skill that can remove her target's memories. However, she appears incapable of implanting new memories. Indoctrinating victims with false memories immediately after regaining consciousness can minimize this limitation._

_In addition, it appears that targets will, without fail, fall unconscious due to mental turmoil during the memory removal process. As a result, this geass proves extremely useful as a tool to incapacitate hostiles._

_Maximum range is as of yet unknown._

-L.L.

Codicis Geis

"She's finally at our mercy." A short, elderly man in purple robes ran long, bony fingers over a metal coffin. A clear screen at its top showed the smooth face of C.C. To the rest of the world, it appeared as if she was peacefully sleeping. "I have waited decades for this moment, C.C. You truly haven't changed a bit."

C.C. shivered awake. "That voice… James?"

The man smiled. "You remember me, C.C.? It's been a long time since anyone has called me by my first name."

C.C. stretched her neck, trying to get a better view of her new prison. "So you've finally built me a coffin, James."

The man smiled, adding even more creases to his leathery face. "We could have started earlier, had you not tried to incapacitate every agent we sent to capture you." He drew his hand away from the coffin's surface. "I'm quite jealous, C.C. It appears that you let the young Prince Clovis almost perfect his immortality research before me."

"As if I had a choice, James."

The man's creases seemed to fold up upon themselves as he began to chuckle. "That's correct, C.C. You never once had a choice." He snapped his fingers. "You were only free to roam because Charles let you roam free. Now, you are mine."

At the snap of his fingers, a series of tubes dropped from the white-washed ceiling, connecting with C.C.'s coffin.

"What are you doing…" for the first time in a while, C.C.'s eyes widened in fear. "James Remington, I forbid you-!"

The man's chuckles evolved into cackling. "I apologize, C.C., but you are no longer our Director." He snapped his fingers once more. "Long live Emperor Charles!"

C.C.'s metal prison began to whir like a well-oiled machine. As the woman began to scream in pain, red liquid began to slowly rise out of the coffin, traveling up the tubes into the ceiling.

Overseer Remington wrung his hands together in anticipation. "Now I can finish what Clovis started."

Lelouch sighed. _I just hope this works._

The former prince once more lay, stomach to the ground, at the top of the hill doming the ruins. From this vantage point, he could observe almost anyone who approached the island, as well as remain relatively hidden in the bushes. In his hand was a pair of binoculars taken from the boat. At the moment, the horizon was clear.

"So, Lelouch…" Anya sat a little farther into the foliage, back resting against a fallen tree trunk. "Will you do it? Rebuild the Geass Directorate?"

Checking once more with his binoculars, he scanned the horizon and turned back towards Anya. "To be honest, I'm not quite so sure." Turning his eyes back to the horizon, he raised a finger for silence. "I think our guests have come."

Off in the distance, Lelouch could make out the bright outline of a small ship. _If we're lucky, there'll be another overseer onboard._

Then Lelouch felt his chest warm slightly at the spot where Suzaku had stabbed him. _Somebody used geass just now._ It was a fact that he simply knew subconsciously, without quite knowing why.

Lelouch pulled the binoculars up to his eyes and saw that only one masked man was on the boat. Judging from the purple garb, the man was an agent of the Geass Directorate. Instead of the bulky ceremonial robes that the previous overseer had worn, this man wore a purple combat suit that resembled a more streamlined version of Britannian infantry garb. This man was clearly prepared for combat on foot.

Somehow, Lelouch knew that the man was the one who had used geass just moments ago. _So they sent a geass user, rather than risk another one of their overseers?... Since he shouldn't know where I am, it must be an area-based geass… so it probably affected Anya as well._ "Anya, come over here and take a look."

He passed the binoculars to Anya. When the girl complied, she quickly began rubbing her eyes. For the first time, the knight sounded genuinely surprised, "There's no one there, Lelouch."

Lelouch rubbed his temple, trying to think. _His geass must be like Rolo's; it affects the perceptions of those around him through a certain radial range. That must be why Anya can't see him… _Lelouch tapped Anya on the shoulder. "Anya, pass me your cellphone."

A bit confused, Anya complied. Lelouch flipped open the small device and found its camera program. Using the device as a sort of telescope, he zoomed in on the boat, which was now speeding directly towards the rocky shore beyond Lelouch and Anya's hiding spot. Although the image quality wasn't perfect, it captured a purple outline behind the boat's wheel. "Take a look, Anya."

Anya tilted her head, looking first at the camera then back through the binoculars. It only took a moment for the girl to put the basic pieces together. "Is it geass?"

_As I thought._ Lelouch carefully followed the boat with Anya's camera. _Like Rolo, this user is able to confuse our senses of perception, but it doesn't work with devices like cameras. If he's started using it from that distance, then its time limit must be much longer than Rolo's, assuming it even has a limit. The distance range must be frightening as well._

"What is it, Lelouch?"

Lelouch thought for a moment. "Anya, about what do you think is the range of your geass?"

"Operative 1-0-2, reporting. I've entered the area of operations. No sign of intruders." The purple soldier slowed his boat down, meeting with the makeshift docking station established by his peers. A row of rocks jutted out from the rough shore, protecting the boat from the ocean currents.

A voice in his ear responded. "Understood. We still don't know why a distress signal was triggered, so your first priority is to relay any new intel gathered. We don't know who or what is out there. Use of deadly force is authorized."

The masked agent touched the side of his helmet. "Video's on."

"Confirmed. We're receiving your visual and audial feed. You're good to go."

The agent took an assault rifle from the cockpit. Landing on the shore, he tapped his helmet once more. "Understood. I'm heading towards the Thought Elevator."

Just as the man stepped through the first trees of the island's forest, he felt an ear-splitting headache pierce his skull. _Wha-_ The man fell to the ground without a word.

"Operative 1-0-2, what happened? 102, do you copy?"

The man could only moan wordlessly in pain. The man raised his two arms to his mask, moaning the whole while. It felt as if his brain would crack into pieces.

"102, you're blocking the visual feed! 102, report!"

Slowly, two figures approached from the side. "You can put your phone away now, Anya. It seems that your geass has rendered him incapable of using his." Lelouch bent down to grip the operative's mask. Feeling for the point of release, he peeled the mask off. "Now, let's get a good look at our new captive…" His voice died off.

Anya moved to see the agent's face, then looked back to Lelouch. "What's the matter, Lelouch."

Lelouch's face turned white. "But, it's not possible…" He said softly, "Rolo?"

"Overseer Mather, we've lost all contact with Operative 102."

A burly man slammed a powerful fist on his office desk. A deep voice rumbled forth. "First we lose Sir Gunter, now we lose one of our operatives? Do we have any video from his op suit?"

"Minimal, sir. The operative simply collapsed, and the suit uplink recorded no mechanical damage. It's possible that the attackers are using geass."

The overseer paused. "Geass? Are you sure?"

"We have no way of confirming conclusively that geass was used, sir. However, it seems to be the most viable explanation."

"That means that the attackers must be affiliated with Lelouch." The overseer stood up and began to make his way towards the exit. Only after he reached the door did the overseer seem to recall that his subordinate was still there.

Turning, he spoke calmly, as if to calm his own nerves. "For now, Overseer Gunter's agents are under our jurisdiction. Order them and all other geass operatives in Japan to prepare for possible deployment. I must report this incident to the Council!"

"Understood, sir."

Suzaku sat at the front of a black table. Around the sides sat roughly 20 figures disguised behind purple ceremonial robes. A few monitors stood at the opposite end, which displayed other overseers not currently present. Suzaku leaded forward, carefully placing his hands on the table before him. "We are gathered here today by Sir Mather. Report, overseer."

The man slowly rose from his seat, looking down at the table. "As is standard, I sent one of my operatives to investigate Sir Gunter's disappearance at Kamine Island. However, he was killed before we were able to see the intruders and have reason to believe that geass was used to incapacitate him." He raised his eyes to look at his assembled peers. "As such, we believe it's possible that Lelouch has raised a geass user."

"That's impossible." Suzaku shook his head. "Lelouch is the last person who would grant someone else geass."

"Still, Director, evidence points to the use of geass." Mather bowed to Suzaku. "Since you were convinced that he wouldn't resort to geass, I've had most of my operatives working on restoring the Directorate's influence in Japan. Now, however, I would like to request permission to send my operatives after Lelouch. Chances are that he's still in Japan, as it'll be hard for him to secure a boat or plane out of the country."

Suzaku frowned. "It appears that I was mistaken in judging Lelouch. Permission granted, Sir Mather." The director looked around the table. "At the same time, we need an overseer to take over Sir Gunter's work in restoring Kamine Island's Thought Elevator. Is there anyone willing to take over?"

A woman raised her hand. "I can."

"Good." Suzaku nodded in her direction. "Lady Osmer, you and your staff should leave as soon as possible. We can't waste a single day in restoring the Ragnorak Junction." Looking around, he added, "Are there any other critical matters to discuss?"

Nobody volunteered to speak, so Suzaku turned to one of the monitors at the end of the table. "How goes your research, Overseer Remington?"

On the screen, an old man bowed slightly. "Director Suzaku, it's going just as great as I had hoped. Give me just a little more time, and I should be able to have a final product ready. Though, I do have a request…"

The Japanese man smiled. "What is it, sir?"

Remington wrung his hands together. "You see, experimenting with C.C.'s blood samples requires a large number of test subjects. More importantly, it's likely that most of these subjects won't survive the experiments…"

"So you need subjects that could go missing without causing any concerns." Suzaku slowly nodded in understanding. "Do you have any specific requirements for these subjects? Health? Ethnicity?"

The overseer smiled. "I'm glad you understand. I don't have any specific requirements, but I will probably need a good few hundred."

Suzaku thought for a moment. "It won't be easy to make a few hundred go missing..."

"I believe I can help." Lady Osmer interrupted. "I have an operative who is to solidify our influence over the Chinese Federation. I'm sure that the Empress could be… _persuaded_ to look the other way for Lord Remington."

He had a light, young face, covered in brown hair. He couldn't be older than 17. Every part of him, from his thin frame to the way his hair parted around his forehead, exactly mirrored Rolo Lamperouge.

_It's not possible…_

After a crazy few days, Lelouch had thought he'd pulled himself at least partly back on track. He'd confirmed the Directorate's existence and even captured a valuable captive: a geass-wielding operative of the Directorate. Except now he found that he might regret that last part.

_Thinking logically_, Lelouch mused, _the Department of Secret Intelligence didn't have much data about Rolo on file. He didn't even know his real parents or birthday. It's technically possible that Rolo had a twin, and if he did, chances are high that both twins would be subjected to geass testing…_

_A geass which I still don't know much about. _Carefully, Lelouch reached forward with one hand, peeling back the right eyelid of this Rolo doppelganger.

A red pupil stared back at him. _Unlike Rolo, it seems that this kid's geass has fully matured. Does that mean that he can no longer control it?_ Lelouch was a bit unsure, having only limited encounters with different fully matured geasses. _But if that was the case for all geasses, then Rolo would have died when his geass fully matured, due to the toll it takes on his heart. In addition, what's the range of a permanently on geass like this? Mao's was roughly 300 meters, but Rolo's varied in range… this area effect actually seems very much like Rolo's…_

Lelouch shook his head. _Too many questions, too little time. _He took a look at the dismantled mask that lay at his feet._ The Directorate probably got video feed from this thing, so the next group of reinforcements will most likely be prepared for us. We need to leave as soon as possible._

"What are you going to do to him?" Anya was sitting off to the side, watching for any more ships on the horizon.

"I don't know." Lelouch felt like ripping out a patch of his hair in frustration. "I was hoping that they'd send a squad so that we could ask the leader a few question. If they sent a geass user just as a scout, then the Directorate may have more geass users than we ever imagined."

"I don't think you'll be able to get many questions out of him, now that I used my geass." Anya admitted, "My geass-"

"Wipes their memories." Lelouch interrupted, "I know." _My Code told me._

Anya looked like she wanted to ask much more, but instead she just ended by stating dully, "So you know he's not going to have anything useful to tell you. We should just kill him and leave. They'll probably be sending a much larger force soon."

_But killing him would be like killing Rolo… _Lelouch thought for a moment. "What if I made him an ally?"

Anya turned her attention from the horizon. "What do you mean Lelouch?"

"Since all of his memories are gone, he has no reason to believe that we're his enemies."

Anya didn't say anything.

As he was deep in thought, the man in front of him started to fidget and let out a small moan. The sound caught Lelouch's attention. "Anya, prepare the boat. We'll need to leave soon."

Anya hesitated. Slowly she complied, walking off into the woods. Just before she fell out of sight, she gave Lelouch a piercing glare.

After she was gone from sight, Lelouch turned his attention back to the captive. _I can tell you don't approve, Anya, but we're going to need every chess piece we can get our hands on._

Suddenly, Lelouch felt a familiar wave of energy flow past him. The captive had used his geass once again, though he had yet to open his eyes. _He is either unable to control his power or uses it so often that it's like a reflex. In either case, it seems his power doesn't have the sort of time restrictions that Rolo's did._

Then the captive finally opened his eyes. "W-Who?" The agent's young age began to show. The boy had no idea where he was… _or who he is…_

Lelouch shook his head to clear his thoughts. _If I have to lie, I'll lie. If I have to deceive, I'll deceive. The Geass Directorate has given me no other choice. _Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath.

When he reopened them, he donned a bright smile. He untied the captive's ropes and gave him a hug. "Thank goodness you're alright, Wilhelm!"

The child seemed surprised. "W-Wilhelm? W-Who are you?"

Although he hated himself for it, Lelouch faked a tear and smiled even bigger. "Wilhelm, it's me! It's your brother, Lelouch!"

**MY god, sometimes writing this stuff is so frustrating. I swear, I've deleted, edited, and replaced scenes in this chapter enough times to fill 2 more chapters worth of deleted content. I'm still getting back into writing, so I apologize if I end up taking more time writing each chapter.**


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